Track shoe



Dec. 11, 1945. H. A. KNox 3905542 TRACK sHoE Filed Dec. 1, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 TRACK snoei` y n t Harry A. Knox, Washington, D. o. l j t, t, `Applintion December 1, 1941, serial No. 421,169`

(Guantes under the act of March .3, 1883,: as f I amended April 3o, 192s; 37o o. G. 757)" t The` invention 'described herein may be manuiactured and used by `or forthe'Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.'` "This invention relates` to a track shoe for a track laying vehicle;

An `object of this invention `is to provide a track ,having a. double row of track shoes Withstag- A'gered cleats thereon. Another object of this invention is to provide a track having adouble row of trackshoes With Virriprovedend connections for the adjoining track shoes.. f W

Another object of this vinventionis to provide an1 improved `means Y for `connecting adjoining l assembled.

Y Another object of this invention is to provide a track with a double row of track shoeshaving staggered cleats thereon and in which the track is adapted to be propelled bya center'drive..

. The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a'desoription of a preferred embodi- Ament asA shown in the` accompanying drawings in which; i I

` Fig. 1 is a plan view taken from the inside of 'the `track and shows a portion of a track incorpo- 'rating an embodiment of this invention. The track is shown without the wheel-supporting rubber thereon." .n t t Fig. 2 is a plan view taken from the outside of the track and `shows `the staggered arrange- Yrnentof the grousers. or' cleats. The track `is shown without the wheel supporting' rubber thereon. Y

Fig. 3 is an end View of portions of the track with wheel supporting rubber I'I thereon and is taken in the direction denoted by 3--3 in Fig; 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of portions of the track with `wheel supporting rubber II thereon and is taken substantially on line 4-4-4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a View taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view taken substantially on line 'I-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts a double row of track shoes A is disclosed. Each track shoe A is formed from a rectangular metallic frame member I0 having twodownwardly extending cleats process.

Ilthereon which.ezitend approximately oneehalf the Width ofthe track shoe and which are formed integral with cylindrical tubes I4.` Tubesl' d.-

yI'ine a pair of parallel cylindrical' hollowportfions I2. Cleatsv II` on the same shoeA are staggered and itvisf understoodn the cleats( I may 'beheld V011 the tubes I4by mechanical'or other means.

End pieces I5 are brazed, welded or iixed rnechanically to the spaced .tubes I4 so as to maintain them in parallel relationship.` 'A Web I6 joins the spaced tubesapproximately on` a'line joining `the centers ofthe spaced4 tubes I4 .so as to strengthen ther trackshoe and to. provide a surface upon which a resilientmaterial IM'I such as rubber` may be iixed vby vulcanization orlother A pin '20" having a strengthened Dortionf .20 a midway between its ends and witha groove .20c therein is Aof sufcient length to pass through two aligned hollowfportions I2in laterally disposed adjoining shoes. Resilient material1 such as rubber 2l is disposed between the pin 2Q and tubes f I4 inforder to produce a quiet, resilient track shoe.

Adjoiningpins on adjoining shoes `are clamped rigidly together by a clamp B comprising aninner plate and an outerplate 26. I The outer plate. '26 has a cleat 2'I` extending outwardly,

`a threaded bolt 28 adapted to project through ,bushing 40` which is disposed in pin grooves 20c and "a pair of. semi-cylindrical portionsltl (Fig.

.5) adapted to partially encircle the `enlargeipin portion 20a. The inner clamp plate 2li-has a hole 25a for the passage of bolt.28,a pairlof flanges 30 for 4guiding the driving .wheel 3I, and a pair of semi-cylindrical portions` 32(Fig. 5) for the reception of l pin portion20a and r15o provide a bearing surface for` the` drivin,=,f..wr 1eell 3|. The `inner fcla'rnpgplate 25` and outer clamp plate 'are' drawn together by nut 28a. The driving wheel 3| must have a recessed portion (not shown) in order to provide clearance for the inwardly extending nut 28a and bolt 2 8.

Also, adjoining pins of adjoining shoes are clamped at their ends by means of a. metallic bar 33 having cylindrical projections 34, 35 thereon which are insertable in hollow portions 36, 31 (Fig. 4) in the adjoining ends of pin 20. Projection 34 is threaded and cooperates with the threaded portion in one of the hollow portions 36. A sliding iit is provided between projection 35 and hollow portion 3I.

In order to yassemble adjoining track shoes with the bars 33 xed to the pins 2|) it is necessary to move the adjoining track shoes laterally with respect to one another so that the non--threaded projections 35 slide in the non-threaded hollow portions 31. (Fig. 4); the ends of the track are held in that position by means of the center clamp B which comprises plates 25, 26 and nut 28a.

Since the adjoining pins of adjoining shoes are prevented from moving independently with respect to vone another by means of clamp B, `the projections 34, 35 are not susceptible to wear on that account.

As a practical matter the threaded bar projection 34 is loosely screwed into its cooperating screw threaded recess 31 so as to allow ease in assembling adjoining shoes and yet projections 34, 35 cooperate with the adjoining pins to provide a rigid connection betweenadjoining pins.V

In the preferred embodiment of this invention the bar 33 has its projection 34 screw threaded so as to cooperate with ther-screw threaded hollow pin portion 36 for fastening the .bar to the track; .it is understood that other fastening means are readily vsuggested 'to those skilled in the `art and this .invention .is not "limited to4 the particular screw threaded means disclosed. It is 'realized that the bar 3.3 might 'be 'made integral with the track shoe 4whereby projection 34 could not be removed from pin hollow `portion "36 but itis preferred to have the 'bar '33 pivotally Amounted on screw threads as shown inthe drawings.

I claim:

1. 4In a track 'for track laying vehicles, a series of laterally spaced pairs of shoes, each shoe comprisng a body joining a pair of' bearings extendingtransversely of the track, alink pin extending through the bearings of a pair of laterally kspaced shoes and having its ends projecting therefrom, said link pin having a central portion `with a groove therein,` said link pin ends having `hollow portions therein, resilient bushings `fast on each Vlink pin and lengaging thel bearings,y va centrally y,

disposed link for connecting link pins 4of adjoining shoes, each .link lconsisting of a pair of plates for engaging the centralportion Vof thev link pin, fa 'bolt on one plate interposed between link pins and fitting in the grooves thereof, means for clamping the bolt to the other plate, a bar having two spaced vprojections insertable in pin hollow portions, and means for fastening one of the projections in one of the hollowy portions.

2. In a track for track laying vehicles, a series kof laterally rspaced pairs of shoes, each shoe comprising a body joining a pair of bearings extendingv transversely-of the track, a link pin extending through the bearings cfa pair of laterally spaced shoes and projecting therefrom, each link pin having a non-circular central portion, said link pin having a hollow portion in each end thereof, resilient bushings fast on veach link pin and engaging the bearings, a centrally-disposed link for connecting link pins of adjoining shoes, each link consisting of a pair of plates for engaging a bar having two spaced projections insertable in i pin hollow portions, and means for 4fastening one of l.the projections in one of the hollow portions.

3. In a track for track laying vehicles, a series of laterally spaced pairs of shoes, each 'shoe comprising a body joining a pair of bearings extending transversely of the track, a link pin extending Vthrough the bearings of a pair of laterally spaced shoes and projecting therefrom, said link `pin having ahollow portion in each end and having .a central non-circular portion, resilient bushings fast on each link pin and engaging the bearings, a link for connecting link pins of adjoining shoes, each link consisting of a pair of plates for engaging the central portion of the .link pin, means.l separating the link pins for .clamping the plates to the link pins, a bar having twospaced .projections insertable in the pin .hollow portions,

and means for fastening one of the. projections in one of the hollow portions. v

4. In a track for track laying vehicles, a pair of parallel pins each having a cylindricalhollow portion coaxial with the pin axis and inat least one of their adjacent ends, `a bar having a pair of projections and disposed with the projections in adjacent `hollow portions, and a screw thread on one of the projections cooperabl'e with a threaded hollow portionto hold the barinlplac'e in relation to both pins. v

'5. An article of manufacture, a connecting link for adjoining shoes of a track laying vehicle .comprisng a bar having two cylindrical projections thereon with the axes of the projections parallel to one another, and fastening means on one of the `projections only, the bar being held vin place in relation to both shoes by the fastening .means of the one. projection.

I6. In a track for track vlaying vehicles, aipair Voi" `track shoes, a pin in each track shoe, each .pin

having a hollow in at least one of the kadjoining ends, a bar having a, pair of projections on 'the same side thereof and disposed with the projections in adjoining hollows, and means .integral with onev of the projections cooperable with a hollow to hold the `bar in place in relation to. both pins. Y

7. A connecting link for adjoining .shoes of a track laying vehicle comprising: a ban-two cylindrical projections `on the bar, and a thread on one projection cooperable with a threaded hole in one of the track shoes to hold .the bar in position in relation to both shoes.

HARRY A. .IQTOXL 

